Is it OK to sometimes leave ~5% of the people "behind" / The Epic Javascript 'usability' debate: Episode #101.

Question

I'm certain this has been asked before-in other ways-please bear with me (for a moment) while I proceed to pinpoint the exact question:

(((Not intending to offend anyone)))

1) In general usability is truly important.

2) "Blind people" can't be airline pilots (for example), and people with an IQ of 47 may never be able to read a massive 1,100 page book on your favorite subject. Handicaps do exist, and there are certain things that some people cannot do in "real-life."

3) In terms of style, beauty and function, there are some things that cannot be done without Javascript

The exact question:

Part a) Is it OK to sometimes leave ~5% of the people "behind", or are you a 101% hard-core 'usability maniac?' // Note maniac can = Fan, so please don't be offended :o)

Part b) If you answer "No" (i.e. Not OK / no web-surfer left behind), then I ask this: Do you always allow ~5% of the people to make your vital business decisions for you?

Thanks for any helpful input.

Answer 1

It depends on your constraints. Your requirements are different if your target audience is blind people, for example.

the overriding rule here might be "dont focus on the exception, focus on the rule", and use that statement in context. For a 'normal' app, then Id leave the 5% behind.

edit -- nothing says I can't have a trimmed down site for the 5% either. It just wont have all the whiz-bang features the normal one does...

Answer 2

• No, it is not OK for my business to lose 5% of it's earnings, what businessman would? It's not like any javascript perks I've seen are that expensive to create a workable non-javascript workaround for if we're talking e-commerce etc.

• Yes, it is allowable javascript users have a much happier time on the site, can get to information faster, and in general have some added perks.

So, in short, my sites are definitely usable for all things they are intended for without javascript, but you might enjoy them more with a js-sauce.

Answer 3

Well, it really depends on your business model. Can you afford to write off those people? If you have a wide audience, perhaps you can afford to skip over them. If you are targetting a very niche market, you can't really dismiss anyone.

Answer 4

If you're working for government, the answer is most definitely no. You cannot design a website that can't be used by a blind person, else you get slapped with an ADA lawsuit.